St. Paul man pleads guilty to sex trafficking in Eagan hotel

A St. Paul man pleaded guilty to trafficking two minors for sex in an Eagan hotel.

Giorgio Jovan Baymon, 25, pleaded guilty on Oct. 5 in a Ramsey County District Court to promotion of prostitution of minors.

As a part of Baymon’s plea, he agreed to testify against his codefendant Brandon Barnes and any other uncharged codefendants.

“We are very pleased with the plea agreement in this case,” Ramsey County Attorney John Choi said in a news release.

According to the criminal complaint, officers from the Minneapolis Police Department and the U.S. Department of Homeland Security began tracking two teenage girls in May who they suspected of being prostituted.

When officers located the girls, ages 16 and 17, the teens allegedly told the officers they were forced by Baymon and Barnes to prostitute themselves at a hotel in Eagan.

Both girls were listed on Backpage.com, with explicit photographs and their cell phone numbers, which was posted by Baymon.

After Baymon told the girls about their ad on Backpage.com, men began visiting the hotel room for sex in exchange for money.

One man gave Baymon marijuana in exchange for sex with one of the girls.

Hotel video surveillance allegedly showed Baymon handing money to Barnes who then paid for the room.

Baymon is scheduled to be sentenced on Nov. 29 in Ramsey County District Court. He faces up to 14 years in prison.

Baymon has several past convictions includes second-degree assault with a dangerous weapon and felony domestic assault in 2008 and 2010, respectively.

Baymon’s plea follows an Elko man who pleaded guilty in September to four counts of engaging in prostitution with a minor for paying for sex with the girls.

Mickey Albert Cupkie, 36, met the girls at the hotel after responding to the online ad.

Cupkie is scheduled to be sentenced on Nov. 1 in Ramsey County District Court.

The girls were never charged with prostitution since they are considered victims of sex trafficking, according to the county attorney’s office.